Texas - Ricks Road

Title: Ricks Road Artist: Texas Release Date: 1993 Re-Released On: 10/1/1999 Label: Mercury, IMS Duration: 47:48 Album Type(s): lyrics/libretto UPCs: 731451825224, 731452213020, 031452213045, 731452213044, 731454646123 Genre: Rock Styles: Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Britpop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock Moods: Soothing, Stately, Earnest, Elegant, Romantic, Sensual, Sentimental, Stylish, Poignant, Reflective, Sexy Total Copies: 7 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. So Called Friend
2. Fade Away
3. Listen to Me
4. You Owe It All to Me
5. Beautiful Angel
6. So in Love With You
7. You've Got to Live a Little
8. I Want to Go to Heaven
9. Hear Me Now
10. Fearing These Days
11. Tired of Being Alone
12. Winter's End

Year Type Label Catalog # 1999 CD IMS 5464612 1994 CD Mercury 522130 1993 CD Mercury 5182522 ------ CD Mercury 314-522130-2

No other editions were found for this album.

Texas sound a bit like a countrified version of the Pretenders put through a car wash on Ricks Road, to the point where the music is so clean, one's mind just slips around and off of it. There's a squeaky-clean polish to "So Called Friend," a stab at southern twang that doesn't seem genuine...it's a sound best left in a studio and indicative of a band trying too hard to make a hit song. There are simply too many studio effects and fake sounding instruments throughout the album. One imagines the harmonica to be some sort of Casio creation. It's like listening to Cher doing a Dusty Springfield impersonation. "Fade Away" tries so hard to have an aggressive hook that it becomes quite awkward. "Listen to Me" is supposed to be uplifting, but it mostly stumbles around a light beat and strings that go nowhere. Still, it's one of the album's better moments, because it's somewhat restrained. It's not overbearing like most of the other songs. "So in Love With You" starts out quite promising, but devolves into an unbearable din when Sharleen Spiteri reaches for high notes that just won't materialize. "Tired of Being Alone" is quite good; first, because it's almost impossible to ruin an Al Green song, and second, because it's less glossy and more immediate sounding than the rest of the album. It's production is credited to Texas and Kenny MacDonald. The remainder of the album was produced by Paul Fox who seemingly twisted knobs to the point of exhaustion. The production is so overblown that it's reminiscent of a Meredith Brook album. From a lesser band, Ricks Road might be an interesting misstep, but from Texas, who have shown themselves to be capable of much more heartfelt artistic expression. It's an outright shame. Later releases would see a more organic, far more successful approach. The world didn't need another Cowboy Junkies, and, thankfully, Texas didn't continue down the bland path they paved with Ricks Road. The album is best left to fans collecting their entire back catalogue, as it's quite weak from start to finish. The album is a bumpy affair, and it's clearly the wrong route, as the band quickly substituted pop and hip-hop elements for the Southern phoniness displayed here. The album is just one or two decent songs above being classified as drivel. White on Blonde and The Hush are worlds beyond Ricks Road. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide

Name Credits Ally McErlaine Guitar Andrew Catlin Photography Armen Ksadjikian String Quartet, Strings Bob Ludwig Mastering Chris Laidlaw Assistant Engineer Chris Reutinger Strings Cynthia Morrow Strings Ed Thacker Mixing, Engineer Eddie Campbell Wurlitzer, Piano, String Arrangements, Organ (Hammond), ?, Vocals (Background), Organ, Mixing Haim Shtrum Strings James Ross Strings James V. Ross Strings, String Quartet Jean Baptiste Mondino Photography Jean McClain Vocals (Background) Jean McLain Vocals (Background) Jimmy Z. String Arrangements, Harmonica Johnny McElhone Bass, String Arrangements Ken Yerke Strings Kenny Mac Donald Producer Kenny Paterson Engineer Margaret Wooten Strings, String Quartet Matt Westfield Assistant Engineer Maurice Dicterow Strings Melissa "Missy" Hasin Strings Nancy Stein-Ross Strings Paul Fox Producer, String Arrangements, Mixing Pete Lewis Assistant Engineer Rachel Robinson Strings Raymond Tischer Strings Richard Greene String Quartet, Strings Richard Hynd Drums, ?, Percussion Rose Stone Vocals (Background) Sharleen Spiteri Vocals, Vocals (Background), Guitar, ? Steve Sharf Strings Texas Producer, Group Youth Mixing